Curated News: JAMA

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11-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Could a Brain “Growth Chart” Spot Attention Problems Early? New Study Suggests So
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

New research suggests that it might be possible to create a growth chart of brain networks that could identify early signs of attention difficulties and, potentially, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

8-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Multifaceted Quality Improvement Intervention Does Not Reduce Risk of Death in ICUs
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Implementation of a multifaceted quality improvement intervention with daily checklists, goal setting, and clinician prompting did not reduce in-hospital mortality compared with routine care among critically ill patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) in Brazil, according to a study appearing in the April 12 issue of JAMA.

8-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Physicians’ Knowledge About FDA Approval Standards for ‘Breakthrough Therapy’
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a study appearing in the April 12 issue of JAMA, Aaron S. Kesselheim, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues surveyed internists and specialists to examine their knowledge about Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval standards and perceptions of the “breakthrough therapy” designation.

8-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Decrease in Air Pollution Associated With Decrease in Respiratory Symptoms Among Children
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Decreases in ambient air pollution levels over the past 20 years in Southern California were associated with significant reductions in bronchitic symptoms in children with and without asthma, according to a study appearing in the April 12 issue of JAMA.

Released: 7-Apr-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Most Patients Likely to See Reductions in Pain and Disability after Bariatric Surgery; Study Identifies Who Benefits Most
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

In the three years following bariatric surgery, the majority of patients experienced an improvement in pain and walking ability, as well as a lessening of the degree to which back or leg pain interfered with work, according a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health-led analysis of a multi-site clinical study published today (April 5) in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

5-Apr-2016 1:00 PM EDT
“Liquid Biopsy” Blood Test Accurately Detects Key Genetic Mutations in Most Common Form of Lung Cancer, Study Finds
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

A simple blood test can rapidly and accurately detect mutations in two key genes in non-small cell lung tumors, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other institutions report in a new study – demonstrating the test’s potential as a clinical tool for identifying patients who can benefit from drugs targeting those mutations.

1-Apr-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Sugar Shock: Insulin Costs Tripled in 10 Years, Study Finds
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

People with diabetes who rely on insulin have seen the cost of that drug triple in just a decade, a new study finds -- even as doctors have prescribed higher doses to drive down their blood sugar levels. Meanwhile, the cost of other diabetes drugs has stayed about the same or even gone down.

29-Mar-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Short Overnight Fasting Linked to Increased Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
UC San Diego Health

In patients with breast cancer, a short overnight fast of less than 13 hours was associated with a statistically significant, 36 percent higher risk of breast cancer recurrence and a non-significant, 21 percent higher probability of death from the disease compared to patients who fasted 13 or more hours per night, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers.

30-Mar-2016 11:00 AM EDT
Urine Test Improves Prediction of High-Grade Prostate Cancer
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

A study in JAMA Oncology online showed that an experimental urine test that detects genetic changes associated with prostate cancer identified 92 percent of men with elevated PSA levels who had more aggressive disease.

Released: 25-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EDT
Study Uncovers Genetic Differences for Kidney Cancer That May Contribute to Survival Disparity in African-Americans
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has identified genetic differences in tumors of African-Americans with the most common type of kidney cancer compared with whites.

Released: 23-Mar-2016 10:00 AM EDT
UAMS Researcher Advances Family Involvement With Critically Ill Child
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Family presence when a child is undergoing tracheal intubation in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can safely be implemented as part of a family-centered care model, reported a research team led by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) professor in the March 7 issue of JAMA Pediatrics.

18-Mar-2016 2:30 PM EDT
More Elderly Using Dangerous Drug Combinations
University of Illinois Chicago

One in six older adults now regularly use potentially deadly combinations of prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements -- a two-fold increase over a five-year period.

18-Mar-2016 9:00 AM EDT
Antipsychotic Drugs Linked to Increased Mortality Among Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

At least half of Parkinson’s disease patients experience psychosis at some point during the course of their illness, and physicians commonly prescribe antipsychotic drugs, such as quetiapine, to treat the condition. However, a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan Medical School, and the Philadelphia and Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers and suggests that these drugs may do significantly more harm in a subset of patients.

Released: 18-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Penn Researchers Show Rising Opioid Prescriptions Following Low-Risk Surgeries
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Physicians are prescribing more opioid painkillers than ever before to patients undergoing common surgeries, according to new research from the department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their work is published online this week in JAMA simultaneously with a major new guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that calls on physicians to avoid over-prescription of opioids for surgical patients and other patients with painful conditions.

16-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Protecting U.S. Minors from Tanning Bed Exposure
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

In December 2015, the FDA proposed new restrictions related to tanning bed use, including banning their use among individuals younger than 18. As the comment period on the proposal winds down, a Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigator who conducts research on tanning behaviors weighs in.

15-Mar-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Atrial Fibrillation Patients at Highest Stroke Risk Not Prescribed Necessary Medication
UC San Diego Health

Nearly half of all atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at the highest risk for stroke are not being prescribed blood thinners by their cardiologists, according to a new study by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco.

Released: 14-Mar-2016 12:05 PM EDT
1 in 4 Seniors Have Superbugs on Their Hands After a Hospital Stay, New Research Finds
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

One in four seniors is bringing along stowaways from the hospital to their next stop: superbugs on their hands. Moreover, seniors who go to a nursing home or other post-acute care facility will continue to acquire new superbugs during their stay, according to findings made by University of Michigan researchers published in a JAMA Internal Medicine research letter.

8-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Negative Cancer Trials: Short-Term Whimper, Long-Term Bang
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Cancer clinical trials with negative results don’t make an immediate splash in the scientific literature, but they do have a long-term impact on cancer research, according to a new study by SWOG, the federally funded international clinical trials network.

Released: 8-Mar-2016 7:05 AM EST
Scripps Florida Scientists Win $2.4 Million to Develop New Strategies to Fight Obesity
Scripps Research Institute

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded $2.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to identify the brain circuits involved in weight control and to develop novel strategies to fight obsessive eating and obesity.

3-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
Could Cutting Urban Blight Reduce Teen Murders?
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Analyzing the immediate neighborhood surroundings of teenaged homicide victims, Philadelphia researchers found that neglected conditions--vacant lots, poor street lighting, fewer parks and less-traveled thoroughfares—were in much greater abundance compared to neighborhoods where adolescents were safer.

7-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EST
Penn Professor Urges Physicians to Help Victims of Torture Seeking Asylum
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Refugees seeking asylum in the United States are twice as likely to be granted protection if their application is supported by medical documentation of torture, writes Jules Lipoff, MD, an assistant professor of Clinical Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and two colleagues in the March 7 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

Released: 3-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
Regular Aspirin Use Found to Protect Against Overall Cancer Risk
Massachusetts General Hospital

Preventive effect most apparent against colorectal, other gastrointestinal tumors.

1-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Tapping into Twitter to Help Recruit Cancer Patients into #ClinicalTrials
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Twitter may be an effective, untapped resource to stimulate interest in cancer clinical trials and boost enrollment, physicians at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania suggest in a new research letter in JAMA Oncology.

Released: 2-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Physicians Married to Highly Educated Spouses Less Likely to Work in Rural Areas
Montana State University

Married physicians with highly educated spouses are less likely to practice in rural underserved areas, according to a new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Montana State University nursing professor Peter Buerhaus is co-author on the study.

Released: 2-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Physicians Married to Highly Educated Spouses Less Likely to Work in Rural Areas
Montana State University

Married physicians with highly educated spouses are less likely to practice in rural underserved areas, according to a new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Montana State University nursing professor Peter Buerhaus is co-author on the study.

29-Feb-2016 2:10 PM EST
Popular Blood Pressure App Misses the Mark (Video, B-Roll and SOTs)
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A popular smartphone app purported to accurately measure blood pressure simply by placing a cellphone on the chest with a finger over the built-in camera lens misses high blood pressure in eight out of 10 patients, potentially putting users’ health at risk, according to research from Johns Hopkins.

25-Feb-2016 5:05 PM EST
They Work for Stores & Airlines – Could Customer Loyalty Programs Work in Healthcare Too?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

When you buy a cup of coffee, an airline ticket or a tank of gas these days, you probably pull out a customer loyalty card without even thinking about it. You may be thinking mostly about perks. But the place you’re buying from is focused on keeping your business. Now, a team proposes that healthcare providers should offer the same kinds of programs – for reasons that go far beyond why businesses use them.

29-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
Multinational Clinical Trial Led by UT Southwestern Finds That Combination Injection Improves Glucose Control for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
UT Southwestern Medical Center

A multinational clinical trial led by UT Southwestern Medical Center and others found that injection of a new long-acting insulin combined with another drug improves glucose control in patients with Type 2 diabetes and, additionally, is associated with weight loss.

29-Feb-2016 10:05 PM EST
New Type-2 Diabetes Therapy Proves Better Than Traditional Insulin Injections
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Research led by UNC’s John Buse showed that IDegLira injections were more effective than basal insulin glargine injections at reducing the average amount of blood sugar over the course of several months. IDegLira was also associated with weight loss and a substantially lower rate of hypoglycemia.

25-Feb-2016 12:30 PM EST
Are Parents of ‘Difficult’ Children More Likely to Use iPads to Calm Kids Down?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Some parents may be more tempted than others to hand an iPad or Smartphone to a tantrum-throwing child.

22-Feb-2016 11:00 AM EST
Web Search Study Finds a ‘Charlie Sheen Effect’ on HIV Prevention
 Johns Hopkins University

Actor’s admission on national TV sparked fresh interest in how to avoid infection, scholars say.

11-Feb-2016 11:05 AM EST
‘Invisible Work’ Takes Toll on Unpaid Caregivers
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Unpaid family and friends who assist older people with disabilities by coordinating doctor appointments and managing medications are significantly more likely to experience emotional, physical and financial difficulties than caregivers who don’t provide this type of support, new research finds.

Released: 11-Feb-2016 3:05 PM EST
Gastric Bypass Surgery Can Reduce Risk of Death Even for Advanced Ages
Brigham Young University

New research challenges assumption that people can be too old for surgery.

Released: 10-Feb-2016 9:05 PM EST
Remote Telemonitoring Does Not Reduce Hospital Readmissions for Heart Failure Patients
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Combined health coaching and remote monitoring did not reduce all-cause 180-day hospital readmissions among heart failure patients, and did not have significant effects on 30-day hospital readmissions, 30-day mortality, or 180-day mortality. But patients reported significantly improved quality of life.

9-Feb-2016 5:30 PM EST
Rise in Marijuana Use Not as High as Previously Reported
Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University School of Medicine researchers report an estimated 12.5 percent of adults living in the United States use marijuana, but their research also shows that the rate of pot use did not double from 2002 to 2013 — as had been reported in the fall — but instead increased by about 20 percent. Meanwhile, the rate of problems related to the drug has remained steady.

Released: 9-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
Common Gene Variant Influences Girls' Food Choices …. For Better or Worse
McGill University

If you’re fat, can you blame it on your genes? The answer is a qualified yes. Maybe. Under certain circumstances. Researchers are moving towards a better understanding of some of the roots of obesity.

Released: 9-Feb-2016 3:05 PM EST
A 'Nudge' Reduces Doctors' Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescription, Study Finds
University of Southern California (USC)

Behavioral interventions that appealed to doctors' competitive spirits and desire to strengthen their reputations motivated them to significantly reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, a new study shows.

Released: 3-Feb-2016 11:05 AM EST
Almost Half of All Military Personnel in Canada Have a History of Child Abuse Exposure, UM Study Finds
University of Manitoba

According to a study published today in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, military personnel in Canada are more likely to have had exposure to child abuse than individuals in the general Canadian population.

28-Jan-2016 2:05 PM EST
Another Smoking-Related Airway Condition Linked to Breathing Issues Discovered
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Expiratory central airway collapse may have a stronger connection to underlying lung disease than previously believed. CT scans may make it a valuable biomarker for impending or worsening lung disease.

Released: 29-Jan-2016 2:05 PM EST
Awareness of Aspirin's Benefits Saves Lives
University of Minnesota

A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found that the University of Minnesota's "Ask About Aspirin" initiative, a statewide public health campaign, is likely a beneficial and cost-effective way to reduce the incidence of a first heart attack or stroke.

Released: 29-Jan-2016 2:05 PM EST
Awareness of Aspirin's Benefits Saves Lives
University of Minnesota

A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found that the University of Minnesota's "Ask About Aspirin" initiative, a statewide public health campaign, is likely a beneficial and cost-effective way to reduce the incidence of a first heart attack or stroke.

27-Jan-2016 9:05 AM EST
Evidence Lacking to Support Use of Costlier Biologic Mesh for Abdominal Hernia Repair
UT Southwestern Medical Center

A UT Southwestern Medical Center study comparing two types of materials used in abdominal wall hernia repair surgery found no evidence to support the use of costlier biologic mesh versus synthetic mesh.

Released: 27-Jan-2016 8:05 AM EST
Twenty-Five-Point Drop in IQ Caused by Lack of Gene Copy
Universite de Montreal

Researchers measured the intelligence of 700 family members who had at least one relative carrying the same genetic mutation on chromosome 16, which is known to predispose to autistic spectrum disorders. Even in study participants whose IQ was considered to be normal, the researchers found a substantial 25 points IQ drop induced by 16p11.2 gene deletions.

22-Jan-2016 4:05 PM EST
Regular Caffeine Consumption Does Not Result in Extra Heartbeats, Study Shows
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Contrary to current clinical belief, regular caffeine consumption does not lead to extra heartbeats, which, while common, can lead in rare cases to heart- or stroke-related morbidity and mortality, according to UC San Francisco researchers.

20-Jan-2016 4:30 PM EST
Study Examines Link Between HPV and Risk of Head and Neck Cancers
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Researchers, led by Ilir Agalliu, M.D., and Robert Burk, M.D., at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that when human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 is detected in peoples’ mouths, they are 22 times more likely than those without HPV-16 to develop a common type of head and neck cancer.

19-Jan-2016 11:00 AM EST
Novel Study Shows Lower Surgical Mortality in Hospitals with Best Nursing Care
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Patients are often unaware that choosing the right hospital is very important to having a good outcome. A novel study published today in the prominent surgery journal JAMA Surgery showed that patients undergoing surgery at Magnet hospitals recognized for nursing excellence, and good nurse staffing, have better outcomes at the same or lower costs as other hospitals.

14-Jan-2016 4:30 PM EST
Low-Cost Tool In Fight Against Childhood Obesity: Water Dispensers in NYC Schools Associated with Student Weight Loss
NYU Langone Health

Making water more available in New York City public schools through self-serve water dispensers in cafeterias resulted in small -- but statistically significant -- declines in students’ weight, according to new findings.

15-Jan-2016 10:00 AM EST
Current Therapy for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease Shown to Be Ineffective
University of Birmingham

New research from the University of Birmingham has shown that physiotherapy and occupational therapy do not produce improvements in quality of life for patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease.

15-Jan-2016 11:05 AM EST
Cost of End-of-Life Care in the U.S. Is Comparable to Europe and Canada, Finds New Penn Study
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Despite widespread perception, the United States does not provide the worst end-of-life care in the world. In the first international comparison of end-of-life care practices, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues from seven countries found that the United States actually has the lowest proportion of deaths in the hospital and the lowest number of days in the hospital in the last six months of life among the those countries, according to a new study published today in JAMA.

15-Jan-2016 3:05 PM EST
Slow Heart Rate Does Not Increase Risk of Heart Disease
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Bradycardia – a slower than normal heartbeat – does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study is published in the Jan.19 online edition of the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine.



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